Nathaniel Crynes 1685/6-1745

Nathaniel CRYNES 1685/6-1745

Biographical Note

Born in Coventry, son of Jonah Crynes. BA St John's College, Oxford 1708, MA 1712, fellow 1707-16. He became esquire bedell of the University in 1716, and held this post for the rest of his life; he lived in Oxford, occasionally visiting Coventry, where he may have practised as a physician.

Books

Crynes is best remembered for his library, accumulated throughout his life. In his will, he bequeathed to the Bodleian Library such books as it did not already have, with St John's College to have first choice of the remainder (and thereafter, Balliol and Lincoln colleges). 968 books were selected by the Bodleian, and around 1500 by St John's. They range widely by date and subject; three Caxton imprints went to St John's. He owned a few manuscripts, which were also donated to the Bodleian. He was friendly with Thomas Rawlinson, and bought books from his sales.

Characteristic Markings

Crynes used an ink stamp which is found on the titlepages of many of his books; he also added many annotations referring to aspects of interest or rarity. He did not as a rule rebind his books.

Sources

• Wikipedia, Nathaniel Crynes]
• Macray, W., Annals of the Bodleian Library, 2nd edn, Oxford, 1890, 220-1.
• Roberts, R. Julian."Crynes, Nathaniel (1685/6–1745), book collector." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.